Calathea Rattlesnake

Filtered light is the best option. If placing your Rattlesnake Calathea by a window, diffuse the light with drapes, it will not enjoy direct sunlight amplified by the window. A bright spot in a well-lit room works well - 3 metres away from the window. They can handle lower light levels too, however filtered bright light is best.

In the summer, your Calathea Rattlesnake will grow more quickly and therefore will need to be watered more frequently, so keep the soil and potting mix moist. During the autumn and winter season, allow the top layer of soil to dry out before watering again. You may want to reduce watering to every 2 weeks. Make sure you check the soil first to make sure! Yellowing leaves is an indication that you have overwatered your plant, as they do not enjoy waterlogged conditions in their soil. On the other hand, if the leaves begin to curl significantly they aren't receiving enough water! Consistency is key with watering your Calathea Rattlesnake. Unlike many other houseplants, frequently watering your Rattlesnake is better than soaking your houseplant with a lot of water. A good way to think about this, is to water the Rattlesnake plant until it just starts to trickle out of drainage holes (do not water so much that it is streaming out of the bottom for a long time). It's very important not to let the plant sit in excess water for long periods of time. We recommend watering your Rattlesnake Calathea in its decorative pot and then emptying the excess water out of the decorative pot into the sink.

Ideal temperatures for your Calathea Rattlesnake are around 15-20 degrees celsius. It will not enjoy prolonged temperatures below this, and if it does, you'll notice that the leaves will start to wilt and brown. They'll eventually die, so do not leave your houseplant outside in the cold weather or close to an open window during the winter (especially in the UK)! Cold, dry air, poor ventilation, drafts, and sudden temperature changes are all very harmful to any houseplant. So, also make sure you keep your Rattlesnake houseplant away from air conditioning or heaters - to keep the air moist and humid. We recommend regularly misting your Rattlesnake Calathea plant. Of course, a humidifier is a good investment if you are a big collector of tropical houseplants.

Feed your rattlesnake houseplant every month during the spring and summer growing season. Use a balanced liquid fertiliser to encourage healthy foliage development. For the amount to use, follow the product label instructions

The Calathea genus is pet friendly!

A key consideration for any rattlesnake plant is proper lighting. If it gets too much direct sunlight, green spots may appear on the leaves; too little light and the vibrant spotted markings may begin to fade. Overwatering or drafts can cause stems to become limp. Sitting in water is the cause of root rot, which can kill any houseplant. Move the plant away from the draft, or extreme temperature condition and see how it does after a few days. Typically, brown leaf edges mean the plant needs more humidity, so give it a mist. Dry air can also cause the leaves to curl up.